Method for separating and recovering rare-earth elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9376736-B2
Application number	US-201214370666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2012
Priority date	Jan 6, 2012
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements, the method including a step of introducing, into a liquid, a mixture containing a rare-earth oxychloride and a rare-earth chloride, the rare-earth oxychloride constituted from a rare-earth element different from a rare-earth element constituting the rare-earth chloride, thereby obtaining an insoluble matter containing the rare-earth oxychloride and a liquid in which the rare-earth chloride is dissolved, a step of recovering the rare-earth oxychloride from the insoluble matter, and a step of recovering the rare-earth chloride from the liquid in which the rare-earth chloride is dissolved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements, the method comprising the steps of:
introducing, into a liquid containing an organic solvent, a mixture containing a rare-earth oxychloride and a rare-earth chloride, the rare-earth oxychloride comprising a first rare-earth element, the rare-earth chloride comprising a second rare-earth element different from the first rare-earth element, thereby obtaining an insoluble matter containing the rare-earth oxychloride and a liquid in which the rare-earth chloride is dissolved;
recovering the rare-earth oxychloride from the insoluble matter; and
recovering the rare-earth chloride from the liquid in which the rare-earth chloride is dissolved.

2. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 1 ,
wherein the organic solvent is an alcohol.

3. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 1 ,
wherein the rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing dysprosium.

4. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 1 ,
wherein the rare-earth chloride is a chloride containing neodymium.

5. A method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements, the method comprising the steps of:
introducing, into a liquid, a mixture containing a first rare-earth oxychloride and a second rare-earth oxychloride, the first rare-earth oxychloride comprising a first rare-earth element, the second rare-earth oxychloride comprising a second rare-earth element different from the first rare-earth element, thereby obtaining a liquid in which the first rare-earth oxychloride is dissolved;
recovering the first rare-earth oxychloride from the liquid in which the first rare-earth oxychloride is dissolved; and
recovering the second rare-earth oxychloride from an insoluble matter which is not dissolved in the liquid.

6. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 5 ,
wherein the first rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing dysprosium.

7. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 5 ,
wherein the second rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing neodymium.

8. A method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements, the method comprising the steps of:
introducing, into a liquid containing an organic solvent, a mixture containing a first rare-earth oxychloride and a second rare-earth oxychloride, the first rare-earth oxychloride comprising a first rare-earth element, the second rare-earth oxychloride comprising a second rare-earth element different from the first rare-earth element, thereby obtaining a liquid in which the first rare-earth oxychloride is dissolved;
recovering the first rare-earth oxychloride from the liquid in which the first rare-earth oxychloride is dissolved; and
recovering the second rare-earth oxychloride from an insoluble matter which is not dissolved in the liquid.

9. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 8 ,
wherein the organic solvent is an alcohol.

10. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 8 ,
wherein the first rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing dysprosium.

11. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 8 ,
wherein the second rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing neodymium.

12. A method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements, the method comprising the steps of:
heating a composition containing a plurality of rare-earth elements in a chlorine atmosphere, thereby forming a mixture containing a rare-earth oxychloride and a rare-earth chloride, the rare-earth oxychloride comprising a first rare-earth element, the rare-earth chloride comprising a second rare-earth element different from the first rare-earth element;
introducing the mixture into a liquid containing an organic solvent, thereby obtaining an insoluble matter containing the rare-earth oxychloride and a liquid in which the rare-earth chloride is dissolved;
recovering the rare-earth oxychloride from the insoluble matter; and
recovering the rare-earth chloride from the liquid in which the rare-earth chloride is dissolved.

13. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 12 ,
wherein the organic solvent is an alcohol.

14. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 12 ,
wherein the rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing dysprosium.

15. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 12 ,
wherein the rare-earth chloride is a chloride containing neodymium.

16. A method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements, the method comprising the steps of:
heating a composition containing a plurality of rare-earth elements in a chlorine atmosphere, thereby forming a mixture containing a first rare-earth oxychloride and a second rare-earth oxychloride, the first rare-earth oxychloride comprising a first rare-earth element, the second rare-earth oxychloride comprising a second rare-earth element different from the first rare-earth element;
introducing the mixture into a liquid, thereby obtaining a liquid in which the first rare-earth oxychloride is dissolved;
recovering the first rare-earth oxychloride from the liquid in which the first rare-earth oxychloride is dissolved; and
recovering the second rare-earth oxychloride from an insoluble matter which is not dissolved in the liquid.

17. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 16 ,
wherein the first rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing dysprosium.

18. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 16 ,
wherein the second rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing neodymium.

19. A method of separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements, the method comprising the steps of:
heating a composition containing a plurality of rare-earth elements in a chlorine atmosphere, thereby forming a mixture containing a first rare-earth oxychloride and a second rare-earth oxychloride, the first rare-earth oxychloride comprising a first rare-earth element, the second rare-earth oxychloride comprising a second rare-earth element different from the first rare-earth element;
introducing the mixture into a liquid containing an organic solvent, thereby obtaining a liquid in which the first rare-earth oxychloride is dissolved;
recovering the first rare-earth oxychloride from the liquid in which the first rare-earth oxychloride is dissolved; and
recovering the second rare-earth oxychloride from an insoluble matter which is not dissolved in the liquid.

20. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 19 ,
wherein the organic solvent is an alcohol.

21. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of rare-earth elements according to claim 19 ,
wherein the first rare-earth oxychloride is an oxychloride containing dysprosium.

22. The method for separating and recovering a plurality of r

Assignees

• Hitachi Metals Ltd

Inventors

• Miyata Motoyuki
• Yamamoto Hiroki
• Sasaki Hiroshi
• Yasuda Toshio
• Furusawa Katsuyoshi

Classifications

• C22B7/006

  Wet processes · CPC title

• C22B59/00 Primary

  Obtaining rare earth metals · CPC title

• B09B3/80

  involving an extraction step · CPC title

• C01F17/0006

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• Y02P10/234

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic